TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie, a top possible contender for the Republican nomination for president, told a crowd of religious conservatives in Washington today that those who hold a "pro-life" stance shouldn't restrict that view to only abortion.

Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference, Christie touted two platforms he has pushed repeatedly during his five years in office in New Jersey: to give non-violent drug offenders treatment for their addiction instead of prison time and create more charter schools so children have a larger array of education options.

"I believe if you are pro-life, as I am, you need to be pro-life for the whole life," Christie said in a 20-minute speech at the event, an annual gathering of right-wing religious leaders and activists. "You can't just afford to be pro-life when the human being is in the womb. You have to be pro-life after the womb."

Though he is Catholic and has been publicly against abortion and gay marriage, Christie is often viewed as hailing from the more moderate wing of the Republican party. Today's speech was seen as a way to tout his stance on social conservative issues to a key demographic in the party: Christian voters.

It was also part of his ongoing effort to rebuild his image in the wake of the George Washington Bridge scandal that has engulfed his administration for months. Many top GOP donors have reportedly been skeptical of supporting Christie amid the controversy.

The governor was one of a few possible contenders for the next GOP presidential nomination to be scheduled to speak at the three-day conference — including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin.

Christie told the crowd that despite four decades of fighting, the "war on drugs" has failed. It's a message he has trumpeted for years. In 2012, he signed a measure expanding New Jersey's drug court program statewide, requiring that low-level drug offenders be given treatment and not time behind bars.

"What works is giving those people — non-violent drug offenders, addicts — the ability to get the tools that they need to be able to deal with their issues," said Christie, who served as New Jersey's U.S. Attorney before being elected governor in 2009. ""I put lots of people in jail for seven years, and violent sociopath drug dealers deserve to go to prison. That's not the people I'm talking about. The people I'm talking about are the users."

View full sizeGov. Chris Christie speaks at the "Road to Majority" conference in Washington today.

The governor said "every life is a gift from God that's precious and must be protected."

"Sometimes being pro-life is messy," he said. "Sometimes it's difficult. Because human beings make bad choices. We are flawed. And I doubt that there's one person in this audience who hasn't made a bad choice, or a bad decision, in your life.

"We need to stand up for the hurt and the wounded," Christie added. "There needs to be a culture of life that Pope John Paul II talked about. From the womb until natural death, we need to be there even for those who stumble and fall, to be there to lift them up. To me, that's the true meaning — the complete meaning — of being pro-life."

At the same time, the governor has repeatedly said he will never allow New Jersey to legalize the recreational use of marijuana while he is in office. And earlier this week, he called the state's medical marijuana program a "front for legalization."

In his speech today, Christie also said the U.S.'s education system "cares more about the comfort of adults than the potential of children." The governor, who has famously battled the New Jersey teachers' union throughout his term, said it should be easier to reward good teachers and fire bad ones.

Christie called the Democratic party less tolerant than the GOP. He said while many high-profile Republicans with pro-abortion views — like former Pennsylvania Gov.Tom Ridge and former Secretaries of State Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice — have been invited to speak at GOP events, the Democratic party has blocked pro-life members from its gatherings.

"Theirs is the party that is intolerant," Christie said. "We should no longer sit around and allow ourselves to be punching bags."

He also returned to a common topic in his speeches over the last year: That leaders in Washington need to work together — and should look to him, a governor in a heavily blue state, as an example of what compromise can achieve.

"I wake up every morning with a Democratic Legislature, everybody," Christie said. "And that means I wake up knowing I'm not going to get everything I want."

The governor also criticized President Obama's administration for a "lack of clarity and principle" in foreign policy — and called for the U.S. to back Israel.

"Israel is our friend, and we need to stand up for it and fight for it," he said, drawing huge applause.

Christie concluded by saying that America needs to make sure this is not "the first generation who breaks that most solemn of American commitments — that is to leave this place better for the next generation than it was left for us."

"If that's a fight you're willing to engage in, it's a fight I'm willing to engage in," he said. I will be with you."

The Faith and Freedom Coalition was formed by Christian activist Ralph Reed, a leading social conservative figure. Before the conference, Reed told CNN that Christie's appearance is critical to his potential presidential campaign.

"If he's serious about seeking the Republican presidential nomination, this is a constituency that he cannot ignore," he said.

Reed noted that Christie has yet to win the support of many religious conservative voters — a bloc that holds significant sway in GOP presidential primaries.

"We agree on some things and we disagree on some things," Reed told the Associated Press. "But he's the first pro-life governor in New Jersey since Roe v. Wade."

Another conference attendee had a less positive view of Christie. Steve Scheffler, who serves as Iowa's Republican national committeeman, said he was skeptical of the governor's conservative credentials as he considers a run at the White House.

"I don't think we're going to win with somebody in the fall who essentially a Democrat-lite," Scheffler told the AP.

Later today, Christie will visit New Hampshire, the site of the first Republican presidential primary.

Christie, chairman of the Republican Governors Association, will campaign for GOP gubernatorial candidate Walt Havenstein — who is battling Andrew Hemingway in the state's Republican primary for the chance to take on Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan in the general election.